8 Early Signs of Diabetes You Should Know
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when your blood sugar level is too high. Glucose is the primary source of energy in your body. It mainly comes when you start eating food, particularly carbohydrates. There is an endocrine gland called the pancreas behind your stomach. It secretes a hormone called insulin, which helps glucose inside the cells to energy. But when the pancreas cannot secrete enough insulin, the glucose stays in your bloodstream and can't reach the cells.
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes increases the risk of damage to your eyes, heart, nerves and kidney disease. Additionally, people with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, which further contributes to cardiovascular disease. Managing diabetes is the best way to lower the risk of these complications.
Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
In the case of diabetes mellitus, you may observe the following signs and symptoms in your body. If you notice any of these diabetes risk factors, consult a healthcare provider soon and take essential steps for disease control.
1. Frequent Urination
An average person pees for 7-8 times in 24 hours. However, a diabetic patient pees more than 8 times. Do you know its reason? Whenever you have diabetes, then your blood sugar level is relatively high. Your kidneys must work hard to remove the excess sugar from the blood. Thus, you urinate more often, especially at night. Frequent urination can lead to the loss of excess water from your body. As a result, you will usually feel thirsty or have a dry mouth. You are more likely to face digestive and kidney diseases when dealing with diabetes.
2. Frequent Hunger
Diabetic patients do not get enough energy from food. The digestive system breaks the food into simple sugars called glucose. However, in gestational diabetes or other forms of diabetes, the glucose stays in the blood and is not absorbed by the cells, causing the patient to feel consistently hungry.
3. Shin Spots
Shin spots(diabetic dermopathy) can be a warning sign of diabetes. These spots are usually red or brownish and are almost 1 to 1.25 centimetres in size. They appear mainly on the shin areas but can develop on the arms or thighs.
4. It Takes a Long Time To Heal Wounds
High blood sugar levels can lead to nerve damage and poor circulation. That's why it will take many months to heal any wounds. Open wounds can raise the risk of infections. It is particularly true on the feet. Contact your doctor immediately if you observe open wounds or discolouration on the skin for several weeks.
5. Infections
Diabetes weakens the immune system, so your body will have less ability to fight infections or germs. You may observe infections in your mouth or face vaginal yeast infections.
6. Losing Weight
If you observe sudden weight loss, especially when you are not trying to lose Weight, then it can be an early sign of diabetes.
7. Blurry Vision
High blood sugar levels can damage tiny blood vessels and nerves in the eyes and cause blurry vision. Simultaneously, it can cause swelling in your eye lens.
If you don't manage diabetes with time, then you may lose your vision permanently.
8. Tingling Or Numbness In Hands Or Feet
Excess blood sugar levels can cause nerve damage and poor blood circulation. Hence, you may have tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, which can worsen with time.
Conclusion
We have listed some of the early signs of diabetes above. Recognizing these signs can help you get treatment sooner.
Getting appropriate treatment, making lifestyle changes, and managing blood sugar levels will improve your diabetes symptoms and reduce diabetes complications.